<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Memento Mei by Anonymous</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27873762">Memento Mei</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Beta!Sumire, Coffee Dad Sakura Sojiro, Detective Akechi Goro, Forced Prostitution, Gangs, Gaslighting, If I remember, Kidnapping, Magic, Maybe - Freeform, No Smut, Omega!Akira, Overprotective Parenting, Sorry Not Sorry, Werebeasts, all add more tags as i go, alpha!goro, and posted, it's off camera, kitsune!Akira, no beta we die like men, obviously, please sojiro is gonna need some strong coffee for this one, so if it's bad, that's why, this might be the darkest thing I've ever written, tokyo aint a pretty place in this one</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:21:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,988</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27873762</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The world was plunged into the battle ground for gangs and mafia clans when a small time clan usurped their biggers in an overwhelming show of strength with a new stratagem many other were quick to replicate, dragging anyone with the skill they need into it no matter how old or young, gender, or species. When the sun sets the sounds of gunshots and the echoes of desperate cries echoes through the hallow streets. With the horrors of war around them Shinjuku thrives as rumor becomes reality and freedom is nothing more then a long past memory.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Memento Mei</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Aight be ready for weird update timing, I'm already *eh* on my other fic's update schedule which will be taking priority between the two, I hope ya'll understand. other than that, I'll try to do something worth while with this one. this aint gonna be a happy sunshine fic, but I don't think I'll be writing something worthy of having a happy fic ready to go afterwards. . . enjoy I guess</p><p>Also I wrote this at around midnight... and did minor editing... so yeah I'm only posting it now so I din't chicken out later sorry</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first attack had been in the spring just over two years before. A then still unknown yakuza clan at the time, had whipped out a powerful and influential clan. They had weaponized young magic users within their rankings to overwhelm the enemy and take an indisputable victory.</p><p>Their victory, no matter by how large a margin, was and still is disputed however. They had must of been aiming for their better’s position in the societies underground, but, as the story would have it, they failed. Instead they were the starting pistol for the most dangerous race to ever plague Tokyo.</p><p>The race to hoard as much magic as possible and topple everyone else.</p><p>Any gang member with even the smallest affinity to magic would shoot through the ranks while also becoming a target. But it wasn’t just them. Taken off the streets, from schools, from their homes, and from their families and forced to fight. Regardless of gender, first or secondary.</p><p>It had started as something slow and overlooked by the public. Normal folk weren’t interested in what gang provoked who. But as the kidnapping begins and kept growing in frequency children were taken out of school systems, doors locked, windows sealed shut, and lives put on halt.</p><p>Tokyo became a battleground when the sun set and the rest of the world sat back and watched, and before they knew it was in just as much trouble as them. Like an infectious disease the fighting spread from Tokyo to all of Japan then to China taking over Beijing and it didn’t stop.</p><p>The gang wars were like a wound, and the corruption in governments, brothels, and the general rise in petty crime were the infection covering the largest cities on the globe. It was an open cut filled with bacteria and puss and when it finally closed it would scar the world, and no one person could heal it.</p>
<hr/><p>“The rioting is getting worse and worse at the diet building every day.” Aoi sighed, fingers running through her long hair in a nervous habit, eye’s flicking around the room whenever a stray noise or suspicious movement in the corner of her vision interrupted.</p><p>“They’ll do something about it, everything’ll be okay, the night order remember,” the woman beside her rested a calming hand on Aoi’s shoulder, thumb rubbing soothing circles.</p><p>“I know Wakaba, I helped pass it, I just-I worry if it gets worse, what’ll happen to my boys,” Aoi confessed softly, mind wandering the recent memories of her husband and son. Her two precious foxes, both so cunning and devious and charming and more to her than the entire world. “He won’t present for another few years but it doesn’t even matter what his secondary nature is they’ll still come for him if they found out he’s-if I or Ren can’t be there then they might steal my son from me-” she choked on her words pressing a hand to her her closed eyes as hot tears slid down her cheeks.</p><p>“We’ll be there, and you will too, I promise we will do what we can to make sure he’s safe,” Aoi’s brother reassured her. They couldn’t be more different, she was an alpha he a beta, she had chased her dreams till she couldn’t climb the pecking order any higher, and he settled for being there when she needed him. But she could see how his worry mirrored her own, how he also struggled with her fears.</p><p>After all he was Sojiro’s nephew just as much as he was her son.</p><p>“I-I know,” she whispered when the silence dragged on, cringing at how pathetic her voice sounded. She was supposed to be strong and collected. But instead she was just exhausted from everything, her work, her never ending worrying, anytime away from Ren and her son was so much more tiring in general.</p><p>They gave her a few minutes to calm down and she was grateful, she didn’t want to go to bed looking like the wreck she felt like. Not when she had a little boy who smiled like the sun and laughed like an angel waiting for her. She had to be strong for Akira.</p><p>His childhood would be over the moment he presents officially, but if she didn’t push through her weakness and keep him safe it would be over much sooner.</p><p>Years ago, when things were easier, kinder, she would have bragged about her dear little boy. Take him out to eat at nice restaurants, enroll him in the best schools she could, let him play with kids his age, even let him meet Wakaba’s daughter, they were rather close in age now that she thought about it. Akira should have had that life.</p><p>“I wish I could keep Akira hidden but I can’t hold his hand forever. . .”she admitted, the guilt of cooping him up inside all the, or never letting him out of her sight when he does go out, bubbled up again. She had to wrestle it down and out of her mind.</p><p>“No, I’m afraid you can’t. . .” Wakaba murmured, Aoi ignored how she and Sojiro exchanged looks across the kitchen. She already knew their thoughts on her parenting. But every time she thinks of loosening up the memories of the many nights him snuggled close against trying to block out the sounds of gunfire and screaming, of news listing off another kidnapped child, of everything.</p><p>“I could always watch him for a few days,” Sojiro offered but Aoi was already shaking her head. She couldn’t put that burden on him. Sojiro was a good uncle his bond with Akira was solid but he wasn’t. . . her. He didn’t-couldn’t understand how she felt about all this. He wasn’t a parent, just an uncle.</p><p>But a nagging voice in the back of her head repeated a nagging fear she pretended she needn’t even consider most days. “If Akira was to lose me and Ren. . . please take care of him. He’s all I care about, I need to know he will be safe no matter what happens to me, Sojiro.” her voice grew stern and steely, almost demanding. Wakaba and Sojiro both tensed slightly and she winced at the sight of it but she didn’t take back what she said.</p><p>Sojiro took her hand in his with a serious look in his eyes, “I promise Aoi, if he were to lose you both I will do everything I can to make sure he lives a full life-”</p><p>“Thank you-”</p><p>“But” Sojiro said and Aoi stiffened, “I know it’ll never come to that, because you and Ren will be there for him no matter what.”</p><p>“Thank you, Sojiro, really, I don’t know what I’d without you too listening to me blabber on and on,” she laughed through her fresh tears and Sojiro and Wakaba shared similar bitter sweet smiles.</p><p>Things will be okay, she’d be careful.</p><p>Quiet settled over the kitchen once again, but this time it was peaceful and an understanding was between the adults. However it didn’t last long.</p><p>“Uncle Soji! Uncle Soji!” A young boy’s voice broke the quiet. The sound of little feet pounding on the hardwood floor pulled all attention to the doorway as a six year old boy skirted to a halt in front of them, looking much too awake for the time of night it was.</p><p>Akira took much after his father in almost every way, jet black messy hair, moon silver eyes, and ivory skin, the kid was going to break some hearts someday, when he grows up. His pointed ears and bushy tails flicked and wagged in excitement as he waited for his uncle to turn his attention to him. He was almost vibrating in place.</p><p>Making a show of big yawn Sojiro drew out the moment till Akira looked ready to burst. Aoi felt herself perk up with the radiating excitement pouring off her son washed over her.</p><p>“What is it kid?” Although his words were stern it was an act, Aoi could tell from the open softness in Sojiro's eyes betraying his fondness for the boy.</p><p>“Look!” The Akira held up his toy, a plush fox with button eyes, slowly the russet color of the doll changed, faded, and was replaced with a pale pink, the same color of the Soji’s button up shirt. “See! Look-” the color returned to normal with a soundless pop making the kid giggle profusely -“it went back to normal!”</p><p>In response Soji ruffled her son’s hair rubbing his ears affectionately. “How’d I get so lucky to get such a cute nephew?” he asked no one in particular.</p><p>“I guess you just did?” The boy shrugged and Sojiro chuckled affectionately, Wakaba and herself joining in.</p><p>Aoi lifted the little werefox in her arms, his own small arms wrapping around her neck, white tipped twin tails alternating up and down behind him burning off his excess energy quickly. Though none of the adults said anything about them the sight of them left a tenseness in their chests.</p><p>Kitsune were rare, especially now with the gangs and yakuza clans snatching any person with a magic affinity they could off the street for their own fights. To be so young and already have gotten his second tail was once thought impossible, Aoi could hardly believe it herself. Her son amazed her everyday. And the length she went to keep him away from the pain of the world left her in tears many nights, but it was what had to be done.</p><p>Once he presents she’ll decide to either let him go and face the world on his own two feet, or she'll pull him in even closer.</p><p>There was a way to predict secondary genders. It was all genetics. All she’d have to do is look through his family tree and do the math but. . . She did that and he had bad odds of being an alpha.</p><p>“Akira, sweetheart,” she cooed, “it’s past bedtime, what’re you doing up so late?”</p><p>“I wanted to-” he yawned, his energy spent up in one go, “I wanted to show Uncle Soji my new trick.”</p><p>“Is that all?” he nodded and she smiled, she gave Sojiro and Wakaba grateful looks, and they nodded signaling it was okay for her to go. “okay then off to bed, Papa is probably lonely without us.”</p><p>A guilty look crossed Akira’s face for a brief moment before melting away into a mixture of sleepiness and understanding, he nodded again, wiggling to hold onto her tighter. As she carried him to the spare room they were borrowing for the night she savored the feeling of his heart beating steadily against her. He was all she could ever ask for, troubles and all, he was her sunshine and she would give him all the sky she could.</p><p>The door was ajar, giving view of the darkened room. Low snores came from the bed, where her husband lay asleep. He used to work nights as a security guard his more nocturnal nature good for the job, but he fallowed a more normal sleeping pattern these days, almost to much judging by the thin line of drool on his cheek.</p><p>When they had Akira he quit his job, and with the new night order set in place it was a good thing he did. Now she could always find him at home with Akira, tutoring him in math, Japanese, English, and more. She was grateful Ren adored Akira as much as she did.</p><p>As carefully as she could she placed Akira, already nearing sleep, next to his father as she quickly undressed, pulling on some simple sleepwear, drifting through her nighttime routine mindlessly, before sliding into her spot on the bed. She wished she could freeze time like this. Just the three of them together resting side by side, no strife, or pain, or hardship, just them. Their little, perfect, family.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'd love to hear what ya'll think as the story goes, not much in the first chapter aside from a info dump sorry, but I wanted to set a tone and ya'll needed something to go off of considering the admittedly emotional-ish begining. don't worry the next chapter's will be so much worse haha, then I'll get to some explaining with all the werefox/werewolf/weredogs business</p><p>Well good night! (or day idk when you're reading this)</p><p>Also I do make a habit of going back and adding minor edits to chapter, fixing typos, correcting simple mistake and the like (nothing that would warrant going back to reread a chapter) as I go so don't be surprise if you backtrack a chapter or two and it's not word for word the same or whatever.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>